A Change is Gonna Come

Leela James | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 21, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B0007Z9RBG
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,961 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

With a dynamic,utterly distinctive blend of breathtaking rhythm & blues, fiery funk and roof-raising gospel inflections, Leela James delivers original music with a vocal prowess that both honors and advances the cause of true soul music. On A Change Is Gonna Come, her stunning debut album produced by some of today's biggest names-from Kanye West and Wyclef Jean to Commissioner Gordon and Raphael Saadiq-Leela James reaches back to the best and brings it up to the date for today...and tomorrow. Warner. 2005.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant June 24, 2005

By A* VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

I was walking pass by my TV when Soul Train was on and I heard her voice. It made me stop dead in my tracks and listen. I wasn't able to catch her name so I went online trying to find the line up for that weeks episode and due to me be lazy that means I must have really heard something magical in her voice. It is swamped in soul. The kind of voice that Aretha and Gladys have and it comes out of such a compact package! Her cover of "A Change is Gonna Come" almost runs close to Cooke's and in just that kind of comparison is something that many "artists" these days lack.

43 of 51 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Soul June 23, 2005

By political idiot

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I caught the appearance of Leela James on Soul Train a few weeks ago and had to have this disc. A nice varied album with rich, soulful vocals on most tracks. Songs range from mostly original traditional and modern soul to bluesy track or two, only a couple of clunkers --"Music" is rather petulant. The cover of the No Doubt pop tune is ok, but nothing special. A one star hit for the phony record noise on some tracks, Ms. James' voice is too good for silly gimmicks. Leela James is a super talent and I look forward to future releases.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Leela's voice is 5 stars, but the album ain't... June 26, 2005

By G. Mitchell

Format:Audio CD

Aside from poor sequencing, this album suffers from TMC syndrome...too many cooks in the kitchen...

- the musical interludes are dope, but who's album is this? Leela's or Gordon's? The track list posted here says it's 14 tracks, but it's really 19 including the interludes...what was Gordon tryin' to make? The Miseducation Of Leela James?

- that Wyclef joint "Ghetto"...ummmm, no. Wyclef has done good work before, but this is NOT one of those times...

- "Soul Food" (and it's preceding interlude as well) is really nice, but there's no real hook...it's sounds unfinished...Raphael (and Jake and 'nem) made a dope groove tho, and it kinda makes up for it..."Rain" has the development that I wish "Soul Food" had...

- This interlude before "When You Love Somebody" shoulda been a whole song...

- and speaking of "When You Love Somebody", why didn't she just remake the original Al Kooper song from a female point of view?

- "Mistreating Me" - this song had me rockin' back and forth like I was in chu'ch...

- Gwen Stefani has got to be jealous. Production wise, I hate how Gordon gave "Don't Speak" the "Fugees' 'Killing Me Softly' remake" styled treatment, but vocally...let's just say if I were Gwen, I'd sue Leela for making me look bad...lol...

- "My Joy" - (see "Mistreating Me" for comments...)

- the two kanye joints are good...I'm glad he didn't rap on them, but if they ever become singles, I KNOW they will be remixed to maximize on the single potential...not that I hate Kanye's rappin', I actually dig it at times; it's just that Leela doesn't need all that...

- "Prayer" is REALLY nice! So is her Sam Cooke remake...I have no complaints there...

- "Long Time Coming"...*sigh*......R&B stands for Rhythm & Business (©George Clinton), this song is proof...lyrics withstanding...

Overall, it seems like there was more focus on Leela getting some product out rather than making a tight, concise and cohesive album, and it shows...with a voice like hers, that kinda disappoints me because all of the hacks who are WAAAAY less talented than her have to do that to sell records, but I don't think she should have to.

I ain't givin' up on Leela tho...Aretha's first Atlantic album wasn't focused...hell, to be TOTALLY honest, the first Aretha LP that I thought was a perfectly sequenced piece of work was "Sparkle", and look how she turned out...

With the right producer and a focused direction, Leela can make some LEGENDARY stuff...but this album as it stands is not.

If you've read this far, DO NOT let this review deter you buying her album - Leela needs the music buyers' support to be able to make that next album the better piece of music it needs to be... Read more ›

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Change HAS come! January 7, 2006

By Dedicated

Format:Audio CD

Leela has strong lyrics, strong voice and dignified messages. She balances new and old very well. I see her less as a representation of "neo-soul" and more as a return to REAL R&B - a day when people didnt use computers hide their vocal flaws and rappers to hide their lack of charisma. Leela has everything necessary to keep you tuned in and grooved. The Change has come!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars 4-1/2 stars -- Black-and-blue-eyed soul July 18, 2007

By Anthony Rupert

Format:Audio CD

It might be a little late to be just reviewing Leela James' album, but as they say, better late then never. I was first introduced to Ms. James as a VH1 You Oughta Know (or was it still Inside Track back then?) artist, and after listening to A Change Is Gonna Come, I'm sure glad I was.

Even though the subject matter of "Music" is starting to get played out, I don't understand why most of the reviewers don't seem to like that song. But it IS true that the rest of the songs are a lot better than that. "Good Time" and "Rain" are just plain funky, while "Soul Food" is very satisfying. And if you think you'll already know what "Mistreating Me" is about, just listen to the song and you'll find some very interesting lyrics. Kanye West also drops in to produce two back-to-back gems that compliment each other: "It's Alright" and "Didn't I".

I don't know if I'll do like another reviewer and put Leela in the same league as Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin (although she does a damn good job with her rendition of Sam Cooke's title track); speaking of remakes, her cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak" is also quality. But that leads me to another point. As reviewer E. Sims says, Leela's singing voice sounds a little too much like Joss Stone's, and the thing about that is, well, not to be cruel, but it's like this: when a white artist sings "black" music in a soulful voice, it's invigorating. When it's the other way around, it's a little odd. In other words, Leela sounds like a white person singing like a black person, which might not sit right with everyone.

But that doesn't really bother me, and it's also not the reason why I knocked half a star off my rating; the reason IS because the Wyclef-assisted "Ghetto" completely throws everything off.... But A Change Is Gonna Come still proves that Leela James deserves much more attention than she's getting, so help her get some by picking this up.

Anthony Rupert Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Tru Soul August 4, 2005

By 12th Knight

Format:Audio CD

Since buying this album the word soul has been revived for me. She brings a sound that i thought i would never hear, smooth and soulful, rich and enticing. this is one of my best purchases and i encourage everyone who appreciates good music and artistic talent to not only pick this up but promote it. Singers like James, Jaguar wright and Lina dont get the props they should and only we can change that.